Things That Matter

My latest novel, Blood Lake, was just published. You will find it on Amazon and online at Barnes & Noble.

(Whew!) There, the shameless publicity effort is done (don’t I wish). Now on to more important things.

Writing is hard work. The last few months have been hectic, and I’ve quite often been less attentive than I should have been. My bride puts up with me, because she says she likes the way I write.

It must be true. I know it can’t be the money.

Once I subtract the cost of any advertising I do (as an indie author, it’s something I have to do … no one else is going to do it for me), design and print giveaway bookmarks, rack cards, posters for book signings … and whatever else needs doing, I only make enough profit most months to buy her a nice dinner out … maybe.

So, why do I do it?

I like to write, and I’ve got stories to tell. How many stories? To paraphrase one of my favorite old-time sci-fi writers, Isaac Asimov: “If I found out I only had a few weeks to live, I wouldn’t complain…I’d just write a little faster.”

I’m already more than 11,000 words into my next book (number seven). Not bad for someone who only got serious about publishing six years ago.

You’ve heard my lament before.

I’ve written since I was seventeen, and when I retired from the nine-to-whenever-I-got-done marketing job I had, I thought writing novels would be a nice sideline. Something to occupy my time.

When I had the first one almost done, I went looking for an agent, since I knew the Big Five publishers (Penguin-Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster) wouldn’t talk to me without one.

Most decent smaller ones wouldn’t either. After two years, with no agent willing to sign me, I said the heck with it (actually, my language was quite a bit stronger than that) and decided to become an indie author. That was in 2012.

I haven’t looked back. I’ve written one book every year since, with the exception of 2013 (that year I wrote two). With one Readers Favorite Gold Medal (and one Silver), a favorable Kirkus Review, Five-Star reviews from reputable review houses for all my books, and a “Notable 100 Book for 2015” from Shelf Unbound for my novel STREET LIGHT … I’m not rich, but I’m pretty happy.

I attribute the modest success to paying attention to the factors that make for good storytelling. I learned how to write dialogue. I learned to show the story, not tell it … and those are probably the two biggest things new writers need to learn.

Now I need to figure out how to get my name (and my books) better known. I’m still working on it .. and I’ll let you know what I find out.

I still urge every wannbe indie writer out there to keep writing … and keep reading. Me? I’m going to pay attention to my bride for a while, because she deserves it (OK, I’m going to keep writing, too … I never said I was perfect).

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My books have all garnered some terrific reviews, and you can see the ones I have available by using the Amazon link below. My latest, BLOOD LAKE, was just published. Look for it. You might like it.